University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, April 13
Amherst, Mass.
11 A.M.
University of Massachusetts
vs
Fordham
Baseball Opens Home Schedule With A-10 Weekend Series Against Fordham
April 11, 2024 | Baseball
Minutemen and Rams prepare for three games, beginning on Saturday at 11 a.m.
| University of Massachusetts Baseball Game Notes | |
| Game 29-31 | Massachusetts (10-18, 2-4 Atlantic 10) vs. Fordham (5-16, 0-3 Atlantic 10) |
| Date // Time | Saturday, April 13 // 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13 // 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14 // 12 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. // Earl Lorden Field |
| Series History | Massachusetts, 35-34-1 Last Meeting: Fordham, 12 (at) Massachusetts, 5 | May 14, 2023 |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast Saturday (Game One) | Saturday (Game Two) | Sunday |
| Stream | ESPN+ (Sunday Only) |
| @UMassBaseball | @UMassAthletics | @CoachReynolds25 | |
| UMass Baseball | UMass Athletics | |
Follow UMass Baseball
Follow UMass baseball on Twitter (@UMassBaseball), Instagram (UMassBaseball) and Facebook (UMass Baseball) all season long for the latest news and updates around the team. Fans can also follow head coach Matt Reynolds on Twitter @CoachReynolds25.
Setting the Scene
University of Massachusetts baseball begins its home slate with a three-game series against Atlantic 10 rival Fordham on Saturday, April 13 through Sunday, April 14. Saturday will be a doubleheader with first pitch slated for 11 a.m., with game two following the conclusion of the first game. Sunday's game is set for 12 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Massachusetts sits at 10-18 overall, including 2-4 in the A-10 Conference, while Fordham holds an 11-20 overall record and a 3-3 league record. The Rams are coming off a 14-2 road loss to Columbia on Wednesday afternoon.
Recap in a Minute
UMass competed in two midweek contests, falling to Harvard, 10-3, in the Beanpot Consolation on Tuesday, before earning a 12-5 victory over Fairfield on Wednesday.
At Fairfield, Justin Masteralexis recorded his fifth career start for the Minutemen and pitched a career-high seven scoreless innings before being relieved in the eighth. The southpaw finished with only six hits allowed and four walks, while dealing four strikeouts to receive the winning decision.
Jack Beverly, Braden Sullivan and Marc Willi registered a home run each in the contest to give UMass a season-high three homers in one game, while Beverly added a double. Kevin Skagerlind went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, followed by Mike Gervasi, Beverly, Sullivan and Kyle Hoog with two hits apiece, including a double from Hoog. Nine Minutemen scored a run with Beverly, Willi and Sullivan plating two apiece. Sullivan led with a team-best three RBI. Gervasi and Beverly both had two RBI and Austin Burgess, Willi and Jack Peters all drove in one run.
All-Time vs. Fordham
The Minutemen and Rams will meet for the 71st time in program history on Friday, with Massachusetts holding a 35-34-1 advantage in the all-time series. The two programs first met on April 5, 1996 for a doubleheader. Fordham took game one, 7-5, while Massachusetts claimed game two, 6-3, on the day. The teams met last season for three with the Rams taking the series, 2-1. The Minutemen won 9-3 over the Rams on May 12 last season.
It's Going, Going, And It's Gone
Massachusetts has tallied 26 home runs in 28 games played from eight Minutemen. Gervasi leads the team with eight, followed by Carter Hanson and Beverly with four each. Sullivan and Nolan Tichy both registered three on the year, while Willi recorded two homers on the season. Burgess and Justin Blumenthal have one apiece.
Gervasi registered his first long ball of the year in the first game of the season against Bucknell, before hitting his second and third in back-to-back games. He had his second homer in game three of the Bucknell series, before hitting his third in game one at No. 13 Virginia. Hanson had a home run as well in game one of the Bucknell series and tallied his second in the game two 10-5 win at No. 13 Virginia. Tichy recorded his lone homer in the final game against Bucknell.
Burgess had his first home run of the year in game two at Elon, while Beverly and Blumenthal hit their first in game three at Elon. Beverly's homer marked the first of his career. Sullivan recorded his first career grand slam, marking his first collegiate home run, at UMES. Willi registered his first career home run in the Beanpot Consolation against Harvard, before recording the second of his career in the next game at Fairfield.
On A Roll…
Eleven Minutemen are riding a current hitting streak, so far this season. Gervasi leads with five games, followed by Travisano with three. Willi is on a two-game hitting streak, currently, while eight players are on a one-game streak. Travisano held the team's longest streak of 13 games before it came to an end.
Sullivan leads the team with a six-game reached base streak, with Gervasi and Travisano on a five- and four-game streak, respectively. Hanson and Willi follow with two games each, while Skagerlind, Burgess, Beverly, Peters, Hoog, Ryan Kolben and Jake Given are on a one-game streak. Skagerlind held the longest streak for the Minutemen with a 25-game reached base streak, before it came to an end.
[Multi]ple Games
In 28 games, UMass has a strong showing with multi-hit games, as the Minutemen have run their total of multi-hit performances to 64. Travisano leads the production with 12, which included one four-hit game and three-hit contest. Beverly and Skagerlind have had 11 and eight multi-hit games, respectively, with Gervasi following behind with seven, which includes three hits in three games. Hanson and Sullivan totaled five each, with one four-hit and three-hit performance for both Hanson and Sullivan. Burgess and Willi are on a four and three game streak, respectively, with four Minutemen having totaled two multi-hit games, as Toth put together a four-hit performance in one contest and Jake Given had a three-hit performance. Hoog has one multi-hit game.
Massachusetts also contributed a total of 37 multi-RBI games, led by Beverly with eight, including two three RBI games. Hanson and Gervasi follow behind with six each, which includes a four RBI and three RBI contest for Gervasi. Burgess and Sullivan have had four multi-RBI games each, with Sullivan recording the team's only five-plus RBI contest, so far, this season. Tichy and Travisano have had three and two multi-RBI games, respectively, while four players have registered one multi-RBI game, including Skagerlind and Given with three RBI in one game.
Meet the Minutemen
A solid mix of returners and newcomers compose the 2024 edition of the Minutemen as the squad begins its 141st season. Nineteen members of the team are back from the 2023 campaign, while 16 players join for their first season in Amherst, including eight freshman and eight transfers.
Keeping it in the Family
The 2024 season marks the 58th straight campaign that Massachusetts baseball will have an alumnus of the Flagship campus as head coach. Seventh-year skipper Matt Reynolds is a double graduate (2005, '10G), and was preceded by fellow alumni Mike Stone '82 (1988-2017) and Dick Bergquist '57 (1967-87).
This is the second longest active streak across Division I baseball. Only BYU (62 consecutive seasons) has been led by an alum of its campus for a longer period.
On Deck
Massachusetts continues its homestand with a midweek contest against Sacred Heart on Wednesday, April 17, at 3 p.m.
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